


The Choice

by TheOnlyWife



Category: Henry Stickmin Series (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Presumed Dead Ending | PD (Henry Stickmin), Rapidly Promoted Executive Ending | RPE (Henry Stickmin), Toppat 4 Lyfe Ending | T4L (Henry Stickmin), Toppat Charles Calvin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:20:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28359201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheOnlyWife/pseuds/TheOnlyWife
Summary: Henry had never worked with the dogs of law enforcement before. He didn't like anyone ordering him around any more than he liked playing by the rules.That all changed when he met a certain helicopter pilot.He'd never opened up that much to anyone before. Charles was a diamond in the roughage that was the government. And Henry was willing to do whatever it took to get Charles to realize that he was better off ruling as a Toppat alongside him.
Relationships: Charles Calvin & Henry Stickmin
Comments: 20
Kudos: 77





	1. Henry

It was a few missions, Henry told himself. Just a few missions working with the dogs that were the government. A few, maybe just two, and they would stay off of his back for a while. He’d agreed, if agreements came to fruition through a lot of threats on their end, as well as the promise to hunt him down should he betray them.

He had no intentions of staying on their good side for longer than he had to. Pretend to be a good person for long enough to get away and get back to his happy life of thievery. At least, that was the plan.

It was a trial run, they told him. The first, incredibly minor mission he was allowed to go on. A tight leash was kept in the form of intense security at his temporary home in a government compound, his only bed to come back to after a long day.

He’d scoff at their attempts to keep him locked up with the rest of their hounds, but for the time being he’d keep his tongue bit down until the chance arose to fight back.

And he _would_ fight back.

That was the plan, his only plan. Keep on their good side, stay out of trouble, and don’t raise any alarms.

The first mission was simple. Steal back some already stolen paintings from a small-named mafia safehouse. He could do it in his sleep.

But they insisted on giving him a partner. Someone to watch his back (in more than one way), they said. The general, Galeforce, was adamant that this particular partner would be his.

Again, he scoffed at their pitiful attempts to keep him chained down. Giving him a strict, commanding partner to keep him in line was just another thing they’d fail to see would never work.

But then, something strange happened.

“Where you want me to bring you in?” The brown haired young man asked, a smile on his face and a pleasantly humming tune in his throat.

Henry had expected something much different than this. He’d expected a rough n’ tumble kinda guy who goes by the book and nothing else. Not this. Not...him.

“Get me in close.” Henry said gruffly. He wouldn’t be held down, no matter what his new ‘partner’ looked like. Partners always held him back, with no exception ever been had in his life. He wasn’t about to trust this person with everything.

“You got it!” he said cheerily. “Can’t get too close or they’ll see me, but I’ll do the best I can.”

Henry didn’t answer other than a curt nod. Nothing had changed between his last short-term partner and this short-term partner. He wouldn’t trust him with his life, nor would he trust anyone.

A simple mission it proved to be. Get in using whatever he had on hand, grab the paintings which, honestly, weren’t even that valuable, and get out.

Henry expected to have to get out on his own, guns blazing behind him just like he always did.

“Get in!” The pilot shouted from out his window. Bullets whizzed by his head, but the door was kept open for him until Henry was safely inside. It slammed shut once he was in, the whole helicopter lifting off the ground shortly after.

Taking in a few deep breaths he set down the paintings on the flooring. That, for once, was surprisingly easy. It really was a get in and get out kind of mission, the type that was fun to do alone.

“Whoo!” the pilot laughed. “That was a close one, huh? You almost got hurt!”

Henry had no words, really he didn’t. This was the kind of thievery he was used to and it felt sort of like home to him. Except this time he was sharing it with someone else. Something personal to him, his life’s work and his passion, was being shared with someone else.

And he didn’t mind.

He ignored the strange feeling stirring in him in favor of sleeping that night. No partner would drag him down.

But, the thing was that Charles, as his name was, never held him back. Another mission, to steal back a priceless set of jewelry, and Charles was there the whole time, being friendly.

Henry never liked the government, or anyone who assumed they could order him around, but Charles, the strange man, never seemed to understand that.

The general, someone who, without a doubt, saw Henry as a closely kept enemy, was just like Henry had imagined all militia to act like.

Seeing Charles changed that.

“I think I can turn the alarm off from here so sit tight for a second, ok?” Charles said over his earpiece. “Aaand you should be good to go!”

Surprisingly, yes, the alarm had been disarmed. No hassle with not only figuring out how to do that from his hiding place, but to get around the thieves keeping the jewelry under constant guard.

“I can probably set off a distraction in the next room.” Charles said. “Let me know when you’re ready.”

“Now.” Henry said after a short pause, in which he was readying himself to run to the other side of the guards’ post.

“You got it!” Charles said.

Another simple grab n’ go mission done and Charles was patting him on the back, smiling just like always.

“Hey you did pretty well out there!” Charles laughed gently. “We make a good team, huh?”

Henry, had he known what Charles was going to say before he got back into the familiar helicopter, would have clearly said no. He would have said no and that would be the end of it. Because he worked alone and wouldn’t have it any way else.

“I guess so.” Henry instead said.

“That’s the spirit!” Charles smiled so wide that it looked like it hurt.

Henry noticed, after another successful mission, what felt off about Charles compared to everyone else he’d ever worked with.

Charles laughed and smiled and talked to him like he was an old friend. Charles treated him like he was just a partner he was friends with. Happy to help, complimentary every time he came up with something clever, and always asked him if things were ok before doing them.

It was never ‘I’m going to do this thing so be ready’. It was ‘I can do this thing for you, tell me if that’s not what you want’. It was different, Henry couldn’t help but notice.

The government dogs were still the same as always. Loud, snarky, and sarcastic, especially when Henry chose not to speak as often as they did. He could talk for longer, if he so desired, but he didn’t most of the time.

Charles, though, brought that into question. He didn’t ask about his past too often; It was a passing inquiry if anything. But Henry, though he knew he shouldn’t, told him anything he was curious about.

Charles asked about his time in prison. Henry told him the plan he used to escape. That could be used against him should he be in prison again, he knew, but it wasn’t a thought at the time.

Charles asked about how he stole the Tunisian Diamond and he told him. He shouldn’t, since that plan would be useless should it get to the wrong sources, but it didn’t matter.

Because, for once in his life, he was trusting someone.

Charles never asked without something in return. Henry told him about his old heists and Charles told him about his old missions.

“The general would kill me if I told you this, but did you know…” Charles leaned in to whisper a secret about Galeforce. 

Henry listened with open ears and chuckled at the captain's misfortune. 

Charles smiled widely. “But you didn’t hear that from me! Blame it on Konrad, he’s always doing something dumb while he’s drunk!”

Another thing to add to the list of things that Charles should not be telling him. Along with what missions he’s going on the next morning and what his new ‘greatest’ plan is. Charles always had a plan to go with, even if it was a terrible one that Henry knew would never work.

For some reason he wanted to go along with it, maybe once, just to see how happy Charles would get.

There was one more mission for the two of them to go on, per the general’s orders. It was like Henry had always planned: Pretend to be a good person, pretend to tolerate his partner, and finally get out from underneath the government with a pardon.

He was lamenting thinking it would be that easy. Not only had he tolerated his partner but, in some strange way, began to like him.

But this was the last mission, whether he liked it or not.

A clan of people calling themselves the Toppats that needed to be taken down for reasons the general didn’t feel important enough to disclose.

Henry assumed it was because they were just like him: Thieves. 

He was dropped on the top of the craft, settling his earpiece in just like usual. A tiny click to indicate Charles on the other line speaking and he heard the familiar voice yet again.

“Check check, this is Charles.” He said.

Henry all but rolled his eyes. Of course it was Charles, it always was considering they’ve been partners for a while now.

“Just thought I’d give you a heads up. Uhh, there’s a guy down there. A bad guy. So, uh, yeah. Good luck!” Charles said, cutting the line so Henry could think.

A series of terrible ideas went through his head before he settled on the one he thought would work best. That was the groove Henry and Charles had worked up for the past few months. Charles would give him information and Henry would come up with the plan.

And that had worked for so long that it felt natural to work with someone else now.

It was going so well, in fact, that Henry had the leader’s chain around his throat and was a few steps from being out of the airship and back into the helicopter.

“Listen, listen.” The leader suddenly said, leaning back so he wasn’t choking his neck so much. “You’ve defeated me.” he said, sighing. “I surrender the airship to you.”

Henry’s eyes shot up. The leader had no sarcasm to his voice, instead a pitiful whimper every time Henry tugged on the chain. It was a trick, Henry thought. A setup by the government to see if he’d cave. 

That’s why they didn’t tell him anything about the Toppats, who they are or what they do.

“Great work Henry!” The general’s scratchy voice came over the intercom. “Now just get him to us and you’ll get your life back!”

Henry felt his blood boil. The general had no right to say his name. The general had no right to tell him what to do.

A trick, he was convinced now. A test to see if he would be loyal to them. If they thought for a second that he wouldn’t betray them, then they were dead wrong. 

Two dummies fallen down to the ground, an earpiece crushed underneath his heel, and a brand new hat later and he was the leader of the Toppat clan.

One last longing look at the helicopter he’d gotten so familiar with and he felt ready to move on from the government for the rest of his life. 

“Sorry Charles.” He whispered, closing the bay doors. “Stay safe.”

* * *

A simple heist it was supposed to be. Get in and get out with the stolen goods just like he was used to. A priceless pearl necklace in the hands of a rich aristocrat that would soon be theirs.

That was the plan, at least.

Henry hadn’t meant to trip an alarm, nor did he mean to get knocked out like he did. He just didn’t account for having to work alone again.

He should have, considering that was what he’d known for all his days of therivery. Get in alone, clean them out, and get out alone.

Instead, he was now sitting in a prison cell in what the warden called “The Wall”. He’d never heard of it before, save for fellow criminals talking about it being impossible to break out of.

There was a girl sitting next to him, fiery red hair, but no spark in her eyes. Someone who had given up on getting out. He would help her for certain, he wanted to think. There was a vent in the top of the room. One quick boost up and the two of them could be convict allies.

But he shouldn’t. He’d seen what happened with Charles. Getting too close to someone was dangerous. 

For the first time, there was no clear path he should take. No gadget he had on hand seemed like a good plan, no talking his way out of this, nothing he could think of.

There was no one to help him and that _angered_ him.

For once he went into a situation not knowing what was going to happen. A charged guard here, bullets dodged there, and he was dangling off a cliff in a stolen truck.

The warden, having chased him during his unplanned escape, stepped out of his car. “I have to say, Henry, I’m impressed. Really I am.”

Henry doubted that very much. 

“You are the first person to escape The Wall.” he continued. “But this is the end for you. You've got two options here, Henry.”

“You stay in there…” Henry felt the truck shift closer to the edge, instantly forcing him to come to grips with the fact that he was dangling off a cliff and _no one would help him_. “Or you return with us back to the complex.”

Looking for anything to help him at that point, he spotted a part of the cliffside where there was just the tiniest of spots to stand on. It was the best shot he had with no other choices and a deadly time limit.

"What's it going to be, Henry?" he heard, as a last reminder that he needed to act _now_. He wedged himself into that spot, pressing himself up against the wall and keeping as silent as possible.

“Hmm, well that’s just too bad.”

The truck fell off just next to him, startling him enough to almost let go. But he kept holding on until he heard the cars drive far off. He pulled himself onto the cliff, saw no one, and crept away, having been presumed dead.

Now he was truly alone.

* * *

Henry still had sources he kept in contact with. People who, when bribed just right, would tell him anything. They ranged from criminals just like him to, dare he admit to working with, some of the more disreputable people in the government.

Nothing on their end would be met, of course, because he was supposed to be dead.

That didn’t mean he didn’t have other sources. Mainly, eavesdropping on helpless barmates who had louder mouths than they did egos. A quick hop onto an unfamiliar helicopter door and he had a fast ticket to where they were headed.

His sources were not always the best, but what they had told him this time was that something was going down in Dogobogo Jungle with the Toppats.

He was still their leader, though he had been missing for a while, and they, along with whatever plan they had, would be better off with him.

It seemed like someone _pesky_ had already beaten him here, though, because the second he’d fallen down from his ride, there were government dogs on patrol. A few just above the cliff he’d gotten up and a sniper posted guard just in the way of where he needed to go.

Henry felt that’s all they were good for. Getting in his way.

A huff of determination and a clever plan using an otherwise useless gadget and he was inside a tent next to the biggest tank he’d ever seen.

A massive thing that he couldn’t help but be in awe of. It was the perfect tool to use for a nice, big distraction. A scrambler, something he had never used before and didn’t know the effects of, was the best plan he could come up with.

He was finding that a problem lately, not being able to come up with plans without help from someone else.

He hated it.

He didn’t know the entirety of what happened when he turned the scrambler on. The tank, though he thought it might be slow, was anything but. One big rampage later and he had a gun to his head.

Then, when he thought things couldn’t get more chaotic, something, some strange thing that looked like a giant egg with a laser, came out of nowhere. 

He hardly had time to think before everything dove more into chaos. He didn’t know what to think until he saw government helicopters flying in to take soldiers away. A retreat, if he’d ever seen one, which was the perfect opportunity to get back to Reginald, the old leader, and tell him what he’d done for the clan.

That’s what he would have done, if he had not seen a familiar face, beaten and slightly bloody, on the ground, clearly unconscious.

“Charles?” Henry crawled closer. He shook his shoulders as if to wake him. “Charles are you ok?”

No response, but he was alive and that was all that mattered. More guns blazing in the short distance and all that Henry could think of was getting Charles to safety.

With no one to help him, he picked up Charles bridal-style and carried him on board. In the cargo bay was the safest, so that’s where he set him, propped up against the boxes of stolen goods.

He would worry about him later, since he had to meet with Reginald and tell him just how alive he was. 

“You protected the clan.” He said, once Henry told him that he was the one to start everything. “The future looks bright with you as our leader.”

It honestly didn’t matter what the man said, all that Henry could think about was Charles during his whole speech. Was he still unconscious? Was he going to be ok with the blood loss? Was a toppat going to find him?

That last one sacred him so much that the second they got into orbit, he went and got Charles to safety. That is, safety being a holding cell. It was better than being in the open where anyone with a sensible head would call into question why a government operative was still on board.

He didn’t lock him up in the restraints, obviously, because this was Charles. Henry could never hurt Charles. Never. He demanded that no one be let near the holding cells. He didn’t need to give them an explanation so he didn’t.

Instead he spent his minutes waiting for Charles to wake to think of all the things he could say.

‘I missed you’, ‘Wanna hear what I’ve been up to?’, or ‘What do you think of the view?’

But instead of happily chatting it up with Charles, just like they were going on missions again, he was struck with the realization that he was not going to be happy to see Henry again.

The last thing Charles knew, Henry had betrayed the government, which meant betraying Charles. The last thing Charles saw was that he had cheated them out of something that Henry was supposed to do.

He felt stupid. If he’d just given up the leader he could have been pardoned. If he’d done what he was told, then Charles would still like him. As it stood now, Charles surely hated him. Him, his ego, and his never ending thirst for power may have ruined his relationship with the only person he’d ever opened up to before.

He didn’t have a plan, just like usual, but Charles had startled awake soon after. Always one on his feet, he struggled to find a way out. With no lock to pick and his headphones busted up, there was nothing he could do.

Henry watched from the other side of the one-way mirror. The panicked look on Charles' face, as well as the frightened way he was shaking, was both saddening to watch and a bit humorous.

Still, Henry couldn’t help but want to appease his fear. Seeing an old friend, even one who betrayed him, would surely calm him down.

A small smile playing on his face from Charles’ startled look, the door shutting behind him, and it was just the two of them.

“Hello Charles.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After seeing some fanart and animated videos of Toppat Charles, I just had to make this. Please be patient for the second chapter, as this took me several hours to make!
> 
> If you enjoyed, please leave a comment. Even just a ♥ as an extra kudos is good!


	2. Charles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Henry was different. He was always different. Henry was a diamond amongst the roughage that was the Earth.

There was something moving him, Charles noticed, through a haze of ringing ears and closed eyes. Something was holding him up, slightly shifting as if breathing heavily. Someone, then, was carrying him somewhere.

He would have liked to open his eyes, but he couldn’t. His body ached every time he tried to do anything but breathe. Even that felt painful at times, like there was something stuck in his throat, burning his passages as if he had swallowed sand.

Something damp was coating his head, an uncomfortable feeling every time this person, who was still holding him gently, breathed down on him.

Though it wasn’t anything Charles was worried about, not really. It wasn’t like there was much to do about it in the first place.

The fading in and out of consciousness was unpleasant, but he had experienced it before. As is normal being in the military and not being the most cautious pilot. He had crashed here and there, as much as it was embarrassing to explain to the general.

After what felt like four or five times of passing out again, each for a different reason, he was set down on the ground, head set gently pressed against an incredibly cold surface.

He heard a door close with a mechanical whir. Strange, the compound wasn’t very technically advanced, nor was their medbay. 

A few minutes passed of Charles trying poorly to control his breathing. He never was patient enough for that kind of thing. But eventually, his eyes opened, to a very worrying sight.

A tan room, somewhat circular, with a gray panel in front of him. He sat up right away, holding his head when it hurt, but pulling back dried blood from his brown hair.

The window to his left was massive, covering most of the room. The most striking part, however, was that it had a view of the Earth from above.

“No, no, no.” He whispered, pressing his hands up against the freezing glass. He was in _space_. He was in space and not at the compound, a hospital, or anywhere he recognized.

His heart sank. Suddenly he felt a lot more worried about just who put him in here.

“Think, Charles, you can do this.” He whispered to himself.

He last remembered fighting with the Toppats, he remembered panicking seeing that massive tank, which led to a crash that threw him out of his helicopter. And….everything after that was a blur. 

He held his head tighter. No, he remembered someone shaking him, calling his name. He remembered being picked up, head gently being held as he was moved.

And then...then he ended up here. He reached up again, but if he held his head any tighter his headphones would break.

“Headphones.” he said breathlessly, reaching up to them as if they had magically appeared and moving the microphone down to his lips. “Testing, testing, can anyone hear me?” his hoarse voice came out as he shifted the headset.

“This is Charles, anybody there?” He tried one more time, but to no avail. Not even static to indicate a dead line. “Nothing.”

He looked out the window at the cold stillness of space. His headphones might not work this far away, no one was at the other end to hear him, or the headset could just be broken entirely. 

“Ok then.” He took a deep breath to combat his growing anxiety, then let it out slowly. 

He looked around the room again. There was a screen on the wall next to the indented part of the wall that looked like it slid open. He was never one for hacking or lockpicking (it didn’t seem like the door had a lock _to_ pick anyway) so that was out of the question.

It would be a bad idea to touch the remote on the wall next to the door, considering there was an ‘eject’ button, so he didn’t. There was a large hatch on the floor that might lead to another room...or outside.

He glared at it for a few seconds, but decided not to take the chance.

That left him with...nothing. Nothing at all he could do. Not until something happened. 

But the thought of that, of being powerless until something unexpected happened, only scared him more. Even though he knew it was useless, he tried prying open the door. He swore he heard something, the sound of someone laughing maybe, on the other side, but he brushed it off.

Standing in the middle of a locked room, no way to get out, his heart raced past the point of being normal, straight into painful. His breathing got heavier, but quicker, and his skin grew hotter, while his hands grew colder.

Then the door opened with a quiet hiss.

Charles couldn’t help but jump at the sight of someone stepping into the room. The door closed behind him with a small click, the person smiling at him. It didn’t feel like a good kind of smile and that scared him.

“Hello Charles.” he said.

Charles looked this person up and down, recognizing him immediately, even with the different clothes and top hat. “Henry?”

Henry Stickmin, his old partner. Henry Stickmin, the person no one at the compound but him trusted. Henry Stickmin, the man who betrayed Charles.

Charles had never taken the general’s advice on keeping distance from Henry. The general said he wasn’t to be trusted, but Charles always wanted to believe that anyone could change if given a little motivation.

He hadn’t meant to get attached to Henry, he had only meant to make friendly banter here and there. A little lighthearted chatter before missions, just to warm up to each other.

He knew he was doomed when he started humming little tunes around him. That was something he did a lot, but he made sure to only do it around friends.

And now...now he was feeling guilty about it all. He had begun trusting Henry, to the point that after the mission with the Toppats, he was going to ask the general if he could still work with him.

Charles couldn’t help the small scowl that crossed his face. “Henry what’re you doing here?”

Henry paused for a second, a careful smile still resting on his face. “How are you feeling, Charles?” he asked, clearly avoiding the question.

“I-” Charles stopped with his mouth open, frown disappearing, though not on purpose. A small laugh made its way out of his throat. “A bit bloody here and there.” 

Charles didn’t know why he was trying to joke around with the man who probably locked him up in this cell. Nor did he know why it felt good to see Henry again, though that guilt was still lingering in the back of his mind.

Henry hummed low in response, then turned around, pressed a few buttons on the remote, and walked out. Charles didn’t like being left alone, but here he was, standing yet again, with no way out except to wait until Henry came back.

He wasn’t sure he liked being alone, now that he’d seen who put him in here. He was hesitant to say ‘locked up’, considering Charles was sure that if he asked nicely, Henry would let him out.

Or, well, Charles thought that was the case. Things had changed since he last saw him. For starters, he was now the leader of a clan they had just attacked not too long ago. 

Or, was it long ago? Charles looked around for a clock, but saw none. He hated not knowing the time, especially without a sun to give him an idea of day and night. How long had he been in here?

He didn’t like being in here alone, he decided. But Henry stepped back in before he could panic any more.

He was holding a metal bowl carefully using one hand, with a small light blue washcloth in the other. The door closed behind him and he sat down on the floor, placing both on the ground next to him.

“Go on, sit down.” Henry said gently, gesturing to the floor in front of him.

Charles didn’t know why he found himself sitting down like he was told, but it wasn’t like he had a reason not to. Henry still seemed to like him, even though the government, and therefore Charles, attacked him.

Even though Charles betrayed him by coming for him when he promised himself he would leave Henry to his old ways. He was ordered to by the general, but that didn’t mean he had to accept.

Charles' shoulders tightened at the thought of Henry being angry at him. But even though Charles was part of the chaos that led to many toppat members’ deaths, Henry didn’t seem mad, not even a little.

Henry dipped the washcloth into the water bowl, squeezing some of it back into the bowl. He reached up and placed a hand on Charles’ cheek, gently rubbing the warm cloth on it. When he pulled back to wet it again, Charles saw the red blood staining the rag.

Henry did the same thing to his other cheek, which was apparently just as blood-covered, in silence. Then he did the same to his hair, which made the rag, when he was done, not have an inch of it that wasn’t red.

“Henry…” Charles said, keeping his head down even though he was done. “Why are you doing this?”

Henry placed the washcloth back into the dirty water, picked it up, and stood. He reached down and fixed Charles' hair. Henry then lifted his chin so he was looking him in the eyes. They stared each other down for a bit, neither saying anything, before Henry broke the silence.

“I’ll be back.” He said, echoing around the room. “I promise.”

And with that, Charles was left alone.

The room was just as suffocating as before with no difference other than his hair and face feeling less heavy and dirty. He didn’t understand what Henry was up to, if anything at all. He didn’t know why he was being kept captive, though he could just ask Henry when he came back.

He was sat down with his back pressed against the curved window, gazing at Earth. His home. 

“I wonder what the general would think.” he muttered to himself. Here he was, trapped in the very rocket they were trying to stop, chatting it up with the person who betrayed them only a few months ago as if they were best friends.

Quietly, he found his mind drift off into a peaceful nothingness. He never was one for punching himself out of a problem like some of the others in the military. 

He flew a helicopter but hardly got to use the mounted guns or cannon in any mission. He was mostly used as a means of transportation, not combat.

He could, if he needed to, but there was no need, was there?

This was Henry he was dealing with, not an enemy. This was Henry, the guy who laughed at his jokes and told stories about heists and prison breakouts. Henry, the guy who closed his eyes and smiled at his silly little tunes.

Henry, the guy he trusted more than any other partner he’d ever had.

The thing that bothered him the most, though, was that he thought they had something. A sort of relationship slowly working its way into their conversations. Little things that Henry said that led Charles to believe that he was sincere in his attempts to reform. 

Well, the general never thought he would. He always told him to watch his back around Henry. But Charles believed he could change. Until the very moment Henry tricked them and left them on the desert ground with nothing more than two crudely made dummies.

He thought he could be a better person but, no, Charles supposed not.

“I brought something for you.” Henry, who had stepped in the room said, holding a bag of candy. Specifically, Charles’ favorite candy, a sort of incredibly sweet taffy with a strawberry flavor.

Henry sat down on the floor in front of him and offered him some, to which Charles accepted with a small “Thank you.”

Charles ate a few in silence, not knowing what to say. And he didn’t know what to say right up until Henry stood up to walk out the door again.

“Why am I here?” He asked, shoulders hunched in to show just how small he felt.

Henry was facing him, but didn’t look him in the eyes. He closed his eyes and sighed softly, then knelt down in front of him.

“Do you want to know why I didn’t lock you up in the handcuffs?” He asked, gesturing to the small metal cuffs with green lights just below the ceiling.

Charles shrugged, laughing softly and rubbing the back of his neck. “I didn't even notice them, to be honest.”

“I didn’t lock you up because I don’t want to hurt you.” Henry said. “This is a holding cell meant to keep prisoners captive. But you are no mere prisoner. You are here because this is the safest place on the station.”

“But why me?” Charles asked, then paused, taken aback. “Wait what do you mean I’m ‘no mere prisoner’?”

Henry frowned, eyes glaring, but not at him. He stood again and walked out of the room without another word.

Charles only had to wait what felt like half an hour for him to walk back in.

Henry stared at Charles as the door shut behind him again. Silently, he stepped in and made himself comfortable leaning against the window to the left of the room.

“How do you like the view, Charles?” He asked.

“What?” Charles didn’t understand what Henry was doing, nor did he ever.

“It’s very quiet up here. It’s…” Henry paused to look out at the galaxy of planets and stars wistfully. “It’s nice.”

Charles had always liked space. Not in the scientific way like others, who understood how supernovas worked, what the difference was between major and minor stars, and how hot planets were.

No, he liked it with a sense of belonging. He may not understand what the stars meant, but he understood their beauty and grace. The elegance of space called to him on every long night spent in tents.

He had told Henry as much, one night as they stargazed together. He didn’t seem to share his love, but he seemed to understand why Charles liked it. That night wasn’t particularly special, at least not to anyone else, but to him it meant the world.

That night it was just him and Henry.

“Why are you being so nice?” Charles asked, before he could think.

Henry didn't take his eyes off the view for what felt like a long time. The odd look on his face made Charles nervous for reasons he couldn’t pin. It wasn’t a cruel look, nor angry. That wasn’t the issue. 

The problem was that Henry looked sad.

“I never liked the government. Or anyone who thought they had authority over me.” Henry said, somewhat slowly, as if he was still figuring his words out. “But you...you’re different.”

Charles hated the silence that Henry left them in, so he felt the need to say something. “What?”

“Even though you were supposed to be keeping an eye on me. Even though you weren’t supposed to, you trusted me. I would give you my plan and you would _trust_ me.” Henry put a lot of emphasis on ‘trust’, as if it was the most important word to him.

“You sing and smile as if I was just another friend.” He continued. “You’re patient, kind, and maybe the only person to make me laugh.”

“But I do all that because you _are_ a friend.” Charles looked at Henry from the floor, noticing the odd gaze fixed on anywhere but him had never left.

“Charles.” He paused for a second, furrowing his brows. “You are a diamond in the rough compared to the rest of those dogs in the military.” 

Henry pulled a necklace from under his black cloak. A thin line connected to the piece of a beautiful blue diamond that Charles recognized. 

He held it up so Charles could see it better. “And you can guess how I feel about precious gems.”

“I don’t-” Charles both felt embarrassed at the compliment and worried about what Henry was planning.

“You have two options, Charles.” Henry moved to stand in front of him, finally meeting eyes. “You can remain in here as my prisoner. Know that you will be treated like royalty. No one will be allowed to see you but me.” Henry’s eyes narrowed. “I will kill anyone who dares to harm you.”

“Or,” He continued. “You can rule alongside me. You can become a Toppat and we could do great things together.”

He tilted his head farther down and offered a hand. “We could be the most powerful men on earth if you just say yes.”

He was serious, Charles knew, because Henry wouldn’t joke about something like this. The hand in front of him did not waver even as Charles said nothing. 

His life was with the military. That was his home, as long as he’d known. The general was nothing like his father, far from it, but he cared about getting everyone back safely more than he cared about successes. 

Henry wouldn’t push this if he said no. He wouldn’t. Even if he said no and Henry would make him a captive like he said, he knew that if he just asked nicely Henry would drop him right back on Earth. Charles knew this and yet...yet he didn’t say no. 

But, for reasons that were becoming more clear, he was beginning to understand why.

He didn’t want to say no because that would mean losing Henry. He would lose the partner he had the most fun with. The partner that helped him swim in a current of troubles and endless problems.

More importantly than a partner, he was a friend. The only one he’d had in a long time. Others were annoyed by his lack of foresight, scowled whenever he told them about his plans, or told him to shut his mouth whenever he sang.

Henry was different.

Henry laughed at his jokes and listened to his stories. He never thought his plans were great, sure, but he smiled and told him how they could work if he did something slightly different.

Henry was a diamond amongst the roughage that was the Earth.

Charles’ hand was slowly making its way up to touch Henry’s. This was what Charles had always wanted, even if it wasn’t what he planned at the start. This was always what Henry had wanted, even if it wasn’t the exact thing he planned. 

Slowly, he took his hand, letting him grip Charles’ to pull him up. Then, just as soon as they were standing in front of each other, Henry wrapped him up in a hug. Charles found himself returning it with a smile.

“Welcome home, Charles.” Henry said. “Welcome home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end! I know I could have made it longer, but this wasn't about Charles being an active Toppat, more him _becoming_ one. Anyway, hope you liked it! If you did feel free to comment! I always love those ♥


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